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NEIL YOUNG & PROMISE OF THE REAL / CHILDREN OF DESTINY

Well it’s the Fourth of July which of course means it’s Independence day in the good old US of A, which of course means all sorts of crazy and over the top patriotic celebrating for our friends across the pond. One man who’s only gone and got himself involved in the festivities is of folk legend Neil Young. Now, as we all know, Neil Young has never shied away from a blatant political statement, and at 71 years old, in 2017 he’s gone right for the jugular as the Canadian legend has released brand new track ‘Children Of Destiny’. Along with Californian rock outfit Promise Of The Real who accompanied Young on his most recent tour, they organised a fifty two piece orchestra to create this fine example of musical contradiction and so with sixty two musicians in all, fronted by one of the biggest icons in music, they have set out to create a track that sounds so grand, patriotic and celebratory, but on top of this lies the scathing and discontented lyrics of a world that wants more and feels no reason to rejoice in the current political climate as governed by the rule of President Donald Trump.

Released a few days prior to the big occasion, on June 30th, it’s protest music at its most based and it’s exactly the tone Neil Young has always set, never taking any shit, and never sugar coating the facts. I often wonder in a time like now, whether in the USA or even the UK now, because let’s face it, we’re fucked as well, what it’d be like to sit down and have a real conversation with the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, or even, if not especially Hunter S. Thompson, as politically the world may be more corrupt, broken, divided and scarier than ever. I guess this is a pretty good insight into Young’s feelings however and it’s a fantastically sarcastic and poignant take on Independence day.

Still, to all our American readers… Happy Independence day guys, I guess…